Sunday, 19 October 2014

A day of saying goodbye to the summer

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I can pinpoint exactly when we said goodbye to the summer this year. That last day of brilliant sunshine, heat and sheer joy to be sitting out on a Sunday and seeing friends and neighbours. It was four weeks ago today, and the weather has really changed since then.

It was the day of our village meet up...a new addition to the annual rhythm of village events. Apart from church services, normally there's four starting off with the Pancake Party, the Barn Dance in high summer, Harvest Supper and Carol Singing. Being a small village in the middle of the English countryside, we like to keep to the old traditions.

But this year Kate suggested a late September meet up , to be held on the village green. Nothing too fancy, a small marquee on the teeny green, everybody was to bring a picnic lunch, there would be a barrel of real manly ale for all the men in the village and the women would bring their own wine. Oh, and Willie's band would be playing, and we would hire in a couple who serve gorgeous cream teas from their vintage Citroen van.

Well that was the plan, which so very nearly went according to plan, but there was a hiccup. The weather. Possible heavy rain was forecast, so we all decamped to Willie and Kate's courtyard. And what an inspired idea that was..it was the perfect venue for a magical afternoon....

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Most brought a picnic

But the cream tea van still did a roaring trade....

And there were so many quiet places to escape to and have a natter and a cup of tea...

There were games for the children, but most of them just wanted to run around the gardens,

or sit and watch the band.

Now Willie has a band, he plays guitar and harmonica, and sings, and that was one of the reasons the venue for the get together was changed. The band were going to play on the back of a cart and plug into Barbara's house on the green. But no one wanted the band to be electrocuted during a heavy downpour...

Especially not when Greg Pearle, Willie's friend was singing. That's not to say we would have sacrificed the rest of the band you understand . But Greg....ah, he's special.He was staying in the village for a few weeks , he'd entranced us and had made us cry in church the week before with the gravelly passion and pathos of his voice . And he melted my heart again, that afternoon in the sunshine as he sang some of his own material and some covers..

And as the afternoon went into early evening, no one wanted to the afternoon to end....

besides there was still time to catch those last few golden moments

before it really was time to leave

So, the last day of summer....and it's only as I write this, I realise there's no photo of Kate, whose idea sparked off such a magical afternoon. Mind you, she was hither and thither and didn't stand still for a minute. I only hope she enjoyed it as much as we did.

Today's track has to be, must be, from the wonderful Greg Pearle, .featured here with the amazing John Illsley from Dire Straits -it's from the album they made together back in 2008. Sit back, and just enjoy "Shine".....I love it.